So when a new book drops into my lap, especially once that has been praised as being entertaining with a healthy dose of smut (the description called it a refreshing) I'm dying to find a comfy spot and dive into the goodness.
Joanna Bolouri's The List is a smart change from your typical chick lit. In it, we meet Phoebe Henderson who has had her fair share of bad loves and bad sex. As the new year approaches, she decides not to put up with another year obsessing over her ex, who cheated on her in their bed (!), and take charge of her life, most importantly her sex life.
In diary style entries, you follow Phoebe as she makes a "list" of challenges she wants to attempt throughout the year. Ten wild things that she's always been curious about, just never tried. And with the new year here and her bad relationship behind her, it's the perfect time. The ups and downs that Phoebe experiences as she plows (literally) through her list (which includes threesomes, voyeurism, & dirty talk) are comical and reveals our heroine as a likable character (she's not perfect, she's a real woman that is curvy and has the mouth of a sailor). She makes mistakes, sleeps with the wrong men, and with the help of her friend Oliver (a gorgeous man with great hair and the ability to get the job done), achieves some risky but rewarding experiences.
While I'm more a fan of fiction with descriptions that properly put your right beside the character, The List is an easy read, perfect for a lazy afternoon or a day at the beach. The ending will definitely have you cheering for Phoebe.
Curious?
Here's an excerpt:
“Pillow talk” has always conjured up images of Doris Day wearing a nightdress up to her eyebrows waiting to be prodded by her gay male co-star.
I don’t have long flowing locks of gorgeous hair to flick over my shoulder or hold up while I’m on top like some Playboy bimbo;I have thick, straight hair which tends to fall in front of my face, making me look like something from a Japanese horror film that’s about to crawl out of the television.
I have to get more comfortable with this. I discussed it with Lucy at lunchtime.
“The trick is not to make it sound forced. There’s no point shouting, “OH GOD, YES, YOU DIRTY BASTARD!” when he’s kissing you gently or brushing the hair from your face. You’ll just startle him. You just have to get used to saying the words to another person. You can’t expect it to come naturally straight away if you’re not used to it. It’s like learning a foreign language. A really dirty one. Like French.Do you want to practice on me?”
“I’d rather die.”
“What about chat rooms then?” said Lucy. “You should go online and cyber some fellas.
It sounds like a good idea, but I’m scared I’ll only find a dongle-charged world full of socially retarded lonely losers, all looking for other equally lonely losers to masturbate with.
Normal, happy people don’t go online. Do they?"
Joanna Bolouri's The List is out on book store shelves in January 2015. Make sure you pick up a copy to enjoy on your next snow day.
I received this book from a publisher to review, however, all thoughts are 100% my own. If you have any questions, just ask!
